Seizure triggers
For some people, certain situations can trigger (set off) a seizure. Common triggers include lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, and not taking their prescribed anti-seizure medication (ASM).
Triggers don’t cause epilepsy but they can make seizures more likely for a person with epilepsy. Possible seizure triggers include:
- lack of sleep;
- stress;
- alcohol and drugs;
- not taking ASM as prescribed;
- flashing lights or moving patterns (called photosensitive epilepsy);
- periods;
- a high temperature due to an infection or illness. This may be a common trigger for some children;
- some foods and drinks or not eating properly; and
- some essential oils used in complementary therapies.
Not everyone will have the same triggers. But if is possible to identity what the triggers are for your seizures, it may be possible to avoid them.
Epilepsy Society is grateful to Dr F J Rugg-Gunn, Consultant Neurologist & Honorary Associate Professor, Clinical Lead, Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, who reviewed this information.
Information updated: May 2024
Sleep and epilepsy
Having a good night's sleep helps our brains to recover from the day's events, so that we can function well the next day. For some people with epilepsy a lack of sleep can make seizures more likely to happen, for others having seizures at night can make them feel tired during the day.
Complementary therapies
How complementary therapies can help to promote your wellbeing and underlying health as well as reduce your stress levels.
Diet and nutrition
A balanced diet from different food groups helps the body and brain to function, helping us to stay healthy. This may help reduce the risk of seizures for some people with epilepsy.
Stress
For some people, stress can be a trigger for their seizures and for others just having epilepsy can be stressful. Here we look at the links between stress and epilepsy.
Alcohol, drugs and epilepsy
Whether to drink alcohol or take recreational drugs is a personal choice, but it is worth knowing the possible effects they could have on your epilepsy. Alcohol or recreational drugs can cause epilepsy in some people.
Hormones, menstrual cycles, and periods
Changes in hormone levels means that epilepsy treatment may need to change through a woman’s life. In this section, when we refer to women, this also includes girls of childbearing age.
If you are taking medication
If you have difficulties with taking your medication the following strategies and tools might be helpful.
Photosensitive epilepsy
Around 1 in 100 people has epilepsy and of these people, around 3% have photosensitive epilepsy. This is when seizures are triggered by certain rates of flashing lights or contrasting light and dark patterns.
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